Because of You
by realmsoffreedom
Summary: Eddie has survived multiple mysteries lying in Anubis house, he's survived the horrors of his mother's abuse- and senior year seems like it'll be normal. Of course for him, nothing is ever normal. Tragedy strikes again- and what he's about to find out, will change his life in a single second.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plotline. **

**Hey guys. It's been forever since I've written a HoA story- the last thing I wrote was the epilogue of One Split Second, and this story has been in the works for a while now. It's going to be dark, deep, and possibly triggering. This subject is entirely new for me, I've never written a story like this before, so it'll be an adventure for both me and you guys. **

**There is a lot of mention of abuse here- if you're sensitive to that, I'd highly suggest not going any further. Another thing- I'm changing the timeline entirely. In this story, we're going to assume that graduation never happened. The Touchstone of Ra did, and Eddie did lose his powers, but there was no graduation. I'm making them all a year younger, so this story follows them as seniors. I hope that makes sense, if it doesn't, you'll understand as you read. **

**Anyway- I hope you enjoy. **

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><p>Acting.<p>

Seemingly difficult- but something done every day, by people who are deathly scared of the truth. Acting, faking, lying- all synonymous for hiding the real truth- the trust is not always the best thing to tell someone. The cold, hard truth is hard to swallow- shrouded in shadows, hidden for a reason. If someone is determined to keep the truth hidden, it must be far from good- it must be something that they are not proud of, something they wish nothing more than to forget.

It's hard to imagine what someone could be hiding. Hundreds of people all around the world put on fake smiles, trying their best to shove their pasts into a closet- and hope they will be forgotten forever. You will never know what a person is hiding- sometimes, the happiest person ever, is the same person that cuts themselves in private, when they think no one is watching. Everyone has secrets- some are just too painful to relive.

I am no stranger to all of this- and I have my own secrets. I have my own reasons to put on a fake smile- to pretend that I'm one of the most fun, adventurous, daring people in Anubis house- when in reality, my past is creeping up on me. Shadows of pain are starting to envelop me- my past is attempting to set the future to flames- damaging every thought I have, for a clean slate, a new chapter- I doubt any of that will happen.

Aside from all the bizarre things that have taken place since my arrival at Anubis house- aside from being the Osirian- there's a hell of a lot more that I've survived through. No one knows- no one except my father, and I've made him promise not to tell anyone, especially Patricia. Having people find out about this would surely cause them to treat me differently- I want no special treatment. My façade has worked up until now- and I don't plan to let it fade anytime soon.

Some say eyes are the biggest giveaway. A person can be happy, smiling, enjoying themselves- but one look into their eyes, and it all comes crashing down. Eyes can tell you a lot about a person- you can see darkness versus light, shadows versus clarity, pain versus happiness- it's not a secret that eyes are the biggest telltale. That's why I don't exactly understand why no one has figured it out yet. My eyes must be a dead giveaway as to how utterly _broken_ I am; yet no one has figured it out yet.

When I'm not having nightmares about being the Osirian and protecting Nina- the Chosen One- my dreams are heinous, detailing the beatings and bringing back memories I'm begging to forget. My sub conscience isn't always the kindest to me- it stirs up feelings and emotions that I wish I could erase. Flashbacks of being beaten, whipped, starved, and much more- those are the things I'd beg to put out of my mind forever.

That's why I came to England- CPS finally found out about my home life, and my mother was arrested for child abuse, child neglect, and attempted sexual assault on a minor. My father was contacted and given immediate custody- that's why I came to the school. The rebellious, troublemaker story was just what it sounds like, a _story_. I was never that rebellious, troublemaker of a student. I kept to myself, and sure, I had friends, but not very many. I listened- and still do listen- to metal music, and that was my escape. If you were to ask any of my American friends- my name and rebel are as far apart as possible. My father and I made up the entire story- neither of us wanted the horrors of my past getting out.

Considering my past, you may think I'm fragile and damaged. I _am_ damaged, but I'm far from fragile. My Yacker makes it all okay- she isn't like the typical girls. She's fierce, feisty, and willing to do whatever she can to protect the ones she loves. I consider myself lucky to have made that very short list. The bottom line- I don't want the typical, makeup obsessed girly girl- I want someone who will tease me, challenge me, and keep me on my toes- Patricia is all of that and more. She probably wouldn't treat me very differently, if she found out about my past, and that's why I love her.

I want to be normal- but normalcy is no easy feat. I've been horrendously abused, and upon arriving to England- I found out I was the Osirian, and I was tossed into a mystery. Now that all of that is over, our fourth term will be as ordinary as it can get. I'm no longer the Osirian- there's not going to be another mystery of any sort. I just want to be able to enjoy my senior year, because next year is only going to bring stress, nerves, and worry. College is a scary thing- and I doubt I'm ready for something like that.

I guess I'm just broken- though I doubt there is any chance of fixing. I'm a mess- it's surprising that I haven't taken to cutting or any other form of self-harm. That'd be expected, unsurprising, really- but causing more pain on top of what I've already been through…that didn't really appeal to me. I also had no clue how I would hide something like that. My mother would've beaten me more, if she found scars- and I doubt CPS would've let me come to England and start over, if I was self-harming.

It's funny, isn't it? How my life has changed so much because of those fucking years of abuse. I may look put-together on the outside- but it's a war on the inside. My mother has put so much fear and panic into me- so much anxiety over simple things. I've done my best to hide the flinches when someone comes at me too fast- I still think I'm going to be hit, every time something like that happens. I'm more comfortable than I was, but I don't think I'll ever get used to yelling, hitting, nothing like that. I'm too scarred.

It's not just the physical onslaught- my mind is essentially fucked. I don't trust people very easily- I've developed a very aloof personality, because I don't want to let someone in. I can't risk being hurt again- that's why not even my girlfriend knows about my past. I don't want to get attached, because she will leave eventually, whether it's because of me, or because she doesn't want a committed relationship. Knowing myself, I bet it's going to be me. It's always me- this time will be no different.

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><p><strong>Couple of things- this was in first person, but the rest of the story will be in third person. There might be a chapter where I change it, but it will be third person unless otherwise stated. Another thing- Eddie's abuse is <em>not<em> the focus of this story. It's there to set a backstory, there are going to be a lot of occurrences when it's brought up- but it isn't the focus. Keep that in mind, as succeeding chapters come. Anyway- reviews would be amazing, I would love to know what you thought. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.**

**-Neha**


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